Spring has sprung

It has been the winter of my discontent. So much snow, so much cold, not very conducive to camping. This weekend those thoughts have completely left me. Lenny left Thursday and drove our motorhome down to Lake and Shore campground in Cape May. I had to work a half day on Good Friday, so I didn't leave till then. It was perfect, our sight was on the lake. The only thing between us and the water was beach. Friday night we decided to drive out to the ocean and find a seafood restaurant on the water. Perfect, The Boathouse in Wildwood had just opened that day for the season. We asked for a table outside overlooking the water. How peaceful. We watched the sun set over the bay. Vibrant hues of reds and yellows glistening off the water. Saturday morning I had so wanted to sleep in, but woody woodpecker had other ideas. He's not just in cartoons folks. He is alive and well at Lake and Shore in a tree on MY SITE I BELIEVE! That's ok, I must have slept soundly anyway and enjoyed the sunrise over the lake. Saturday we decided to explore west of Cape May to find a lighthouse we had never seen before. East Point Light on the Maurice River at the mouth of Delaware Bay. It was closed, but we were still able to take a few pics outside and meet some nice people who were letting their dogs run into the river and others who spent the morning fishing. From there we drove north to Milleville, NJ and the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center. We watched as artisans made glass rabbit figures. It was interesting as they handled the figures on the end of long poles and shaped and colored them. We met Ed, an 83 yr young wood carver. I loved the outhouse he made, complete with a man reading inside. He creates ornaments out of something as little as a lemon seed. It was a long day and being up so early, I wanted to take a nap so back to the campground we headed. Easter Sunday morning we wanted to go out to eat, so my cousin's husband recommended Marge's Diner down the road. I love the sign. Wanting to see the ocean again, we drove back down to Exit 0 and enjoyed the architecture of Victorian Cape May. We parked the car at one point and found a place to sit and enjoy the waves on one side and Victorian Bed and Breakfasts on the other. From there we drove to the Wildwood Naval Air Station museum in Cape May. Lenny was in his glory. He is very into WWII Navy/Air history. I think he took over 100 pictures there alone. It's been a long five months but we're on the road again and loving every minute of it. Hope you enjoy the pictures and the writing. Till next time...travel along with the Thomas' on the Thomas trails.

Victorian Cape May New Jersey

VICTORIAN CAPE MAY

It was a beautiful November weekend. My cousins were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and invited us along on a camping adventure. For the last four years we have been trying to plan to get down to Cape May and for one reason or another had not made it yet. We were staying at the Lake and Shore Outdoor World campground. Wanting to get an earlier start to the long weekend, we drove down to their house Wednesday night after work and parked in their driveway. It's great to have relatives and friends whose driveway can accomodate a 32 ft motorhome. People in NJ drive crazy, but people in Northern NJ drive even crazier. Before we had even gotten to the Raritan Bridge we saw two cars spun out. One in the Bloomfield area in the fast lane and one down in Edison off the shoulder. Other than that, the drive to Toms River was uneventful and DARK.

Thursday morning we continued to South Jersey to the campground. Lake and Shore is a beautiful campground which I'm certain we will be returning to again. The sights are large, there is a large lake that has a beach area and boating area. The water park was closed for the season, but from the looks of it seems very inviting.

The nights were cold and blustery. Thursday evening we put the awning back in because wind gusts were forecasted to be about 25-30 mph. It got extremely cold. We went thru about 1/3 of our propane even with the electric heater running. Thursday, after setting up our camp, we drove out to Margate to see Lucy the Margate Elephant. What a sight. That evening we enjoyed a seafood dinner in Ocean View, NJ.

Friday, we were going to go on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, but it was too windy and thought the ocean would be too choppy to enjoy the 80 minute ferry ride. We would forgo that trip till the following day. Still wanting to enjoy the day, we drove to Cape May to take in the scenery. The architecture is fascinating. All the bed and breakfasts so eloquently designed. Some with vibrant colors of pinks and purples, others more subdued in beige's and soft greens. We went shopping at a pedestrian mall lined with shops selling everything from knick knacks to fudge.

We saw lighthouses, boats, a six story elephant, quaint victorian houses. We did alot this weekend but felt relaxed and refreshed by Sunday morning when we would leave the shore and return to reality.

There is something to be said about stepping back in time to another era. A life on the sea, the sound of the waves hitting the beach, the smell of salt water. I can't wait to go back.

With winter soon approaching, it's time to put "Aggie", our trusted motorhome to sleep for awhile. We are not sure when we will be out again. If it is a mild winter, I'm sure we'll do some travelling, but if it's a wet and cold winter we'll be staying right here in Clifton. So until then,

Thanks for riding along with us on The Thomas' Trails.

Lighthouses & The Cape May Ferry

So on our trip to Cape May, Lenny promised to take me on a cruise. Ok, more like a ferry ride or as we put it...a three-hour tour. It was up and out early Saturday morning so we could catch the 11 am ferry to Lewes, DE. During the off-season, the ferry doesn't sail as often so we needed to get there for the second one. The day was cool, but the wind had died down. We found a seat in the sun for the 80 minute trip to Delaware. I have a new found love for the water. The gentle rocking of the ship, the quietness of being on the open sea was almost enough to put me to sleep. Upon our arrival in Lewes, we got off the ship to purchase our souvineers, after all Delaware has no sales tax and we had 20 minutes to kill before the return trip to NJ. Boy that 20 minutes went fast. And we were the last ones on the boat. The return trip was just as relaxing, sitting in the sun, rocking with the waves. Maybe I should buy a waterbed? Nah, maybe just one of these ships. After getting back into NJ we picked up a bite to eat at a local pizza place near Sunset beach before driving over to the Cape May Lighthouse.

The lighthouse that stands there today is not the original one. The first lighthouse was built in 1822 and lit in 1823. It was a 70 foot tall brick tower with a flashing light. It was too close to the waterline and by 1847 the tower was waterlogged and soon toppled into the ocean. A second tower was built further inland and was lit from 1847 to 1859 but that one also disappeared into the waves like the first tower. The site chosen for the third tower was even further inland and two keepers' houses were added. There are 199 steps to the top. NONE of which I climbed.

After spending some time there we ventured down to Sunset beach, the southern most point of NJ and saw the concrete ship Atlantus that ran aground there in 1926 and has slowly been disappearing ever since.

I really wanted to see the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse in North Wildwood, so up the coast we drove. Simply beautiful scenery as we drove. The lighthouse was closed, so we were only able to walk around the outside. Most NJ lighthouses are simple towers, but the Hereford property is of Victorian Stick style and the only one of its kind standing on the East Coast. More than 170 plant varieties and thousands of flowers thrive on a half-acre site that had previously been nothing more than sandy, empty lots. Hereford is a much easier climb of only 44 steps broken up by two floors of the home. Something I'm sure I can handle.

Thanks for travelling along with us on The Thomas' Trails. Till next time...

I LOVE LUCY

It started out a beautiful fall day. Our drive to South Jersey was uneventful. After checking in at the campground and getting set up, we decided too drive east to see Lucy the Margate Elephant. Lucy is the world's largest elephant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Margate, NJ. She was built in 1881 by a real estate speculator who owned many parcels of open land at the Jersey shore. He built Lucy to attract visitors and potential buyers as a novelty amusement. During her history, Lucy has survived floods, hurricanes and even a fire accidentally started by some inebriated party-goers when she briefly served as a tavern. She stands six stories high, has spiral staircases in her legs and a museum in her belly. What fun to climb those narrow winding stairs up to her howdah and see the 360 degree view. A week before we got there, Lucy's tail broke from being hit by a flying canopy during a wind storm. She is a National Historic Landmark in the US. If you are ever in Margate or passing through, stop by Lucy and say hi. The view is spectacular.

Thanks for riding along with us on The Thomas' Trails.

The Thomas' Trails: BOOKS, MORE BOOKS AND BUGGIES

The Thomas' Trails: BOOKS, MORE BOOKS AND BUGGIES

BOOKS, MORE BOOKS AND BUGGIES

Grab a cup of coffee, it's time to sit back and catch up on a good read. First, let me give you our itinerary so you can keep up with us. 1.Leave Clifton to Lancaster to drop off car at in-laws hotel. Lenny drove the RV, Chrissy and me drove the car. 2. After we dropped off the car in Lancaster, PA, drive to Mt. Crawford, VA., 3. drive back to Lancaster, pick up our car and spend time with Len's family, 4. Len drives RV home, me and Chrissy drive car home. We left on Wednesday headed down to Mt. Crawford, Virginia to the Green Valley Book Fair http://www.gvbookfair.com/. We had heard of this book fair from friends of ours who full-time in their RV. This place is only open for two weeks every two months. They buy back overstocks, damaged books, etc. and then sell them for 60% - 90% off cover price. All of us being avid readers, we decided to take some time off work and travel south. Our first night, we stopped and stayed in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel, off I-81 in West Virginia. It's great travelling in a motorhome. You stop when you get tired and spend the night. The following morning we had a hearty breakfast. I thoroughly enjoyed the grits and the biscuits and gravy, while my daughter chose a much healthier option. Doesn't it look inviting. It's good to know that wherever you are you can eat healthy. About an hour into our trip, Len noticed the battery level decreasing. If it's not one thing it's another. Well, we pulled off and went to the truck stop. They were able to charge our battery but said it looked like the alternator was bad and they don't work on RV's. They sent us off to a Ford dealership off the next exit. The people at Muhlenberg Ford were great. A.J. took good care of us and got us back on the road the same day, but not wanting to sit at the dealership all day, we opted to rent a car from Enterprise. They were the closest and on the same property. Shawn took good care of us and got us in a car in no time. We continued in our rental car south to the book fair where we shopped till we dropped. Talk about books. If was huge. We walked and we shopped, cookbooks, mystery's, childrens books, you name it they had it. Even best sellers. We were all in our glory. Chrissy purchased 28 hardcover books and only spent just over $100. I didn't count how many we bought, but we spent about the same and I can now say that Christmas shopping has begun. While we were still there, AJ called to say our coach was ready for pickup. We finished our shopping and drove back to pick up our "home". It was still pretty early so we drove north and back into PA before stopping for the night at a Wal- Mart. Our first night in "Wally World". It's great to be able to just pull of the road for the night, but boy was it noisy. The garbage men were by around 4:30 AM banging away with those dumpsters. Needless to say, we got an early start that day to Lancaster, PA. We were at my in-laws hotel by lunchtime to pick up our car and headed to our campground to set up. My sister-in-law and her family were joining us, but decided to stay at the same hotel as her mom and dad because everyone had colds and it was bad weather to be sleeping in a tent. That afternoon we all met at the Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster to see "In the Beginning". It was a wonderful show. We all enjoyed it. The next day was devoted to more shopping and swimming. We met at the Rockvale outlets on Rt 340 in Lancaster and walked the entire place, at least it seemed that way. Then it was off to the Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market. Wow, can these people cook and bake. We had the most amazing caramel popcorn, the sweetest whoopi pies, and some hot chocolate. (Please don't tell my doctor). The quilts we saw were beautiful. I have always wanted an Amish quilt. This time my dream came true when Lenny insisted on buying me one. I love the wedding ring pattern and the colors in this one would match the interior of our RV. Tired of shopping, we all went back to the campground for dinner and a swim. Circle M is located on the other side of Lancaster so we took back roads to get there and saw an Amish schoolhouse on the way. Lots of horse and buggies too. The kids all went to the indoor waterpark at the campground while us adults stayed at the coach and chilled out. Our nephew signed up with the National Guard, so this is probably one of the last camping trips we'll be able to take with him before he goes off to boot camp next year after he finishes high school. It was a great time finding bargains and spending time with family. Cherish the time with your loved ones. You never know when those days will end. Thanks for going along for the ride with us. Stayed tuned, you never know where we'll end up next in our RV. We love you, but more important, God loves you.

Columbus Day Weekend 2009

The chill of autumn has arrived. This weekend Lenny and I went away to Triple Brook Campground in Hope, NJ. Two nights away are better than none. We were meeting up with my cousins from down the shore. I had checked the weather but did I plan accordingly...WHO ME??? No way. Good thing we keep winter coats in the motorhome. Lenny drove up early in the afternoon on Friday, I had to work till 4pm so I drove up later in our new to us red Saturn LW300. Fancy word for station wagon. After sitting in traffic for over an hour, I finally arrived at the campground around 6. It was a crisp, cool evening and the rain held off until after we sat around the fire. By morning the rain had stopped. Lenny and I decided to go to PA for a nice drive and some shopping at Wal-Mart. On the way home we drove south on 611 thru the Delaware Water Gap. The leaves are just starting to turn vibrant reds and yellows. Just past the trolly tours we turned left and found a wonderful place for lunch. If you're ever driving in the area be sure to check out the Village Farmer. They had all sorts of homemade breads, cookies, pies and cakes. They also had homemade pot-pies. Their selection that day consisted of chicken, turkey, a mexican pot pie, shepherds pot pie and mac n cheese pot pie. Lenny and I ordered the latter two and shared them. The also had fresh apple cider. The best part was our seating. They offered indoor and outdoor seating. We chose to eat outside because it was beautiful out and scenery could not be better. They had a gazebo and picnic tables along a stream with waterfalls. We continued on 611 south to Portland where we crossed the Delaware River back into NJ and back to the campground where we shared some Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cake with my cousins. So yummy.

That night my cousins came over to our sight where we had a roaring fire burning and roasted marshmallows. It amazes me how fast you can go thru a large bag of marshmallows. They were so good. Gazing at the stars we were able to see Venus. I told Lenny we need to invest in a good telescope. A book about constellations would help us too. The sky was so clear but so cold. Drinking coffee at 8pm just to warm up is not a good thing to do. At least not at my age. That night I had such trouble falling asleep. Such a good weekend. Two days until our next trip. Stay tuned as we travel along.